The Nineteenth Star
Xin He asked curiously, “Jiang Chuyi, what are you looking at? You seem so engrossed.”
“What?” Jiang Chuyi discreetly locked her phone.
Xin He glanced at her suspiciously, “I’m asking what you’re secretly looking at.”
“It’s nothing,” Jiang Chuyi picked up her chopsticks, trying to cover up, “Just some news.”
Xin He continued to probe, “What news?”
“Social topics.” She changed the subject, “Why were you on the phone for so long? Did something suddenly come up?”
“Oh, it’s nothing,” Xin He sipped her juice, looking unenthusiastic, “My agent called me about a new drama, ‘September Rain’.”
Jiang Chuyi made an “oh” sound, indicating she understood, and lowered her head to continue eating.
Xin He furrowed her brows and put down her glass, “What do you mean by ‘oh’? Are you brushing me off?”
Jiang Chuyi: “…”
She found it both amusing and exasperating that Xin He always seemed overly sensitive about strange things. When unhappy, she spoke very bluntly, which was probably why there were rumors in the industry about her being a spoiled diva.
Jiang Chuyi patiently explained to her, “How am I brushing you off? This is a trade secret, so it’s not my place to ask.”
“What secret?” Xin He snorted, “Aren’t you going to join the crew with me?”
“What?”
Jiang Chuyi was a bit confused, “I just met the director once and haven’t even auditioned yet. How can I be joining the crew with you?”
Xin He pouted her red lips, her expression saying “I’m awesome, so just grab onto my coattails”, and said arrogantly, “So what? If I say you can join, you can join.”
Is this… what it feels like to be adored?
In all her life, Jiang Chuyi had never experienced what it was like to be the pampered little wife of a domineering CEO, until she met this woman.
Jiang Chuyi joked, “Why are you so good to me?”
“Don’t flatter yourself,” Xin He replied.
She pretended to be puzzled, “Could it be that I helped you before?”
“You did help me before.”
Not expecting this response, Jiang Chuyi paused, “Huh? What? When did I help you?”
“Didn’t you help me when we were filming before?” Xin He said casually, “Don’t overthink it. Didn’t you say your agent is very interested in this opportunity? For me, it’s just a matter of putting in a word. Just be happy about it.”
Jiang Chuyi was speechless.
Seeing that she wasn’t saying anything and her expression wasn’t exactly joyful, Xin He began to have some doubts.
Was there something wrong with what she said? Did it sound a bit like she was doing charity? Could it be that she hurt her pride?
Thinking this, Xin He coughed and added dryly, “Well, don’t think I’m being harsh. I just think your acting skills are really good. Although you’re not that famous, popularity isn’t that important. In a fair competition, you’d definitely be better than those attention-seeking wannabes. Uncle Li already appreciates Director Qin, and you’re his disciple, so even without me, they would consider you for this drama.”
Jiang Chuyi listened attentively to Xin He’s slightly stuttering speech, knowing she had misunderstood. She smiled and explained, “I’m not upset, and I don’t think you’re being harsh. I’m just very touched that you said my acting is good and that I deserve this drama. I think you’re a very good person, completely different from what outsiders say.”
She said these words from the bottom of her heart.
It wasn’t because she was grateful that Xin He was using her connections to give her resources or anything like that. Rather, she felt that to a certain extent, she was lucky to know Xin He.
Chen Yi always said she was naive and stubborn, but Jiang Chuyi was actually clear about many things. If she fought for certain things, hyped herself up, conformed to the current popular aesthetic trends, crafted a persona, or used any means necessary to grab resources, she could gain much more than she had now.
In this profit-driven industry, “human touch” was a rare thing. Having been in it for a long time, Jiang Chuyi had become much more worldly. She no longer insisted on artistic films and took on many popular fantasy and period dramas for the appearance fees, playing various unpopular vixen and other throwaway roles.
But in these past few years, after acting in these crowd-pleasers, she still felt numb and hollow. Perhaps there was still a small part of her, a very lonely small part, that was unwilling to go with the flow.
Everyone around her – Gao Ning, Chen Yi, and many others – were instilling in Jiang Chuyi the concept that popularity was everything. Even she herself seemed to be gradually accepting this idea.
Yet, when she heard from Xin He’s mouth that popularity wasn’t important and that she had acting skills, she remembered what she’s been desiring.
Jiang Chuyi repeated solemnly once more, “I’m really grateful to you.”
Xin He was not the type of person who liked to be sentimental. She had a serious case of awkwardness and was not used to having heartfelt interactions with others. She fidgeted, not knowing what she had said to move Jiang Chuyi so much.
After much thought, Xin He blurted out impatiently, “What’s there to be grateful for? You artsy film types are just overly sensitive.”
Jiang Chuyi shook her head slightly, “I rarely act in films anymore.”
“Why not?”
Jiang Chuyi smiled bitterly, “The films I acted in before all had mediocre box office results. They’re not like commercial movies and can’t make much money. I still have a mortgage to pay. But if there’s a chance in the future, I’ll still do it.”
Xin He: “…”
The phrase “mortgage to pay” was just too down-to-earth. She looked horrified and exclaimed, “Haven’t you been in the industry for many years? How come you still have a mortgage to pay??!”
“Um, housing prices in Shanghai are very high,” Jiang Chuyi said awkwardly, “I had my eye on an apartment in the city center a couple of years ago. I didn’t want to trouble my parents for money, so I saved up my acting fees and made a down payment.”
“What do your parents do? Is your family in a difficult situation?”
“My dad is a university professor and my mom is a doctor,” Jiang Chuyi waved her hand, “Not difficult, not difficult at all. My family is quite well-off, but just an ordinary middle-class household.”
“Oh, intellectuals, a family of scholars,” Xin He snorted with a laugh, “No wonder you’re Master Qin’s disciple.”
Qin Tong was well-known in the industry for his aloofness and refusal to pander to current trends. Most of his works were the type that didn’t make money but were likely to win awards. In earlier years, many famous “Best Actors” and “Best Actresses” liked to work with him, firstly to elevate their status by transitioning into film, and secondly to gain prestige through awards.
But Qin Tong never gave these people any face. He would reject them with harsh words, making them lose face. With commercial films gradually dominating the market in recent years and the rise of fast-food variety shows, many investors were no longer interested in artistic films.
Moreover, with Qin Tong’s health not being very good, he hadn’t had the energy to prepare new works in recent years and had gradually faded from public view.
Hearing the tone in her voice, Jiang Chuyi asked, “Do you have some history with my teacher?”
“Somewhat,” Xin He hesitated, then gave her a look and reluctantly said, “Are you stupid? My uncle is Lai Yushan.”
Jiang Chuyi: “…”
Lai Yushan was the A-list actor who had been put down by Qin Tong in public…
Jiang Chuyi fell silent, “I forgot.”
Xin He’s tone was sarcastic, “My uncle actually quite appreciates Qin Tong, but that old man looks down on him, thinks his acting is poor.”
Jiang Chuyi automatically ignored the term “old man”. After all, she was used to hearing Gao Ning say it too.
As if recalling something, Xin He laughed coldly and said in a very disdainful tone, “He told my mom to have me act in films in the future. People of their generation are just backward-thinking, believing that acting in films is some great accomplishment.”
After listening, Jiang Chuyi suggested, “Although acting in films and TV dramas are the same, both are acting, and neither is superior to the other, if you want to give it a try, I think you can talk to your agent about it and gain some new experiences.”
“It’s not like I haven’t acted before, making appearances in those New Year’s movies and such. Anyway, I’m just a pretty face in the background.”
Jiang Chuyi was thoughtful, “Hua Rui’s resources in films are indeed a bit weak.”
“I’m not like you,” Xin He’s tone was resentful, “Those big directors all think I’m too pretty and lack character, which really affects the quality of their works.”
For a moment, Jiang Chuyi couldn’t tell who she was complimenting, but she sensed something else. She smiled, “I’ll ask my teacher for you in the next few days and see if he can give some advice.”
“What’s there to ask? You want me to be humiliated by your teacher, just like my foolish uncle?”
Xin He turned her head and muttered under her breath, “Besides, I didn’t help you for these things. You don’t need to flatter me.”
“You misunderstood,” Jiang Chuyi hurriedly said, “I’m not trying to flatter you. I just think that if you have plans to transition in the future, it would be nice if I could help you. You’re good to me, so I want to be good to you too.”
Xin He: “…”
It could only be said that Jiang Chuyi’s natural airheadedness was very effective against her tsundere quirks.
After a few seconds of silence, her face turned a bit red, and she shouted irritably, “Okay, okay, why are you talking so sappily?! You’re giving me goosebumps!”
Jiang Chuyi added, “However, the films my teacher and the others make nowadays can hardly attract any investment, and the funds are very limited. If there’s a chance to collaborate, they probably won’t be able to offer you a very high fee.”
“Tsk,” Xin He was very disdainful upon hearing this, and said coolly, “Do I look like someone who lacks money?”
“…”
Jiang Chuyi, who was still working hard to save money to pay off her mortgage, felt like an arrow had struck her knee.
…
…
This was the first time Jiang Chuyi went out alone with Xin He. Before setting off, she thought the atmosphere might be a bit awkward, but who knew that the two of them would get along so easily and comfortably. After eating at the tea restaurant, the two of them found a quiet bar and chatted until the wee hours.
When she returned home at night, the airport photo of Zong Ye was still high on the hot search list.
Jiang Chuyi was playing with her phone before bed and naturally thought of the comment about wearing matching rings that she had seen earlier. She rolled over on the bed and sat up.
Could it be that Zong Ye really had feelings for her?
The more she thought about it, the more suspicious she became.
But didn’t Xin He say he had a non-celebrity girl he had been secretly in love with for a long time?
Moreover, her appearance could be called pretty when thrown into a crowd of passersby, but in the entertainment industry where a hundred flowers bloom, she could only be considered not ugly at most.
Not to mention the others, just in terms of Zong Ye’s rumored girlfriends, any one of them could easily crush her in terms of looks.
Jiang Chuyi had known Zong Ye for such a short time. She shouldn’t have such a great personality to make the current top star develop any strange thoughts about her… right?
Unable to sleep until almost morning, she scrutinized the few lines of chat records with Zong Ye several times.
It didn’t seem like there was anything ambiguous…
Jiang Chuyi finally balanced her state of mind and patted her own face, thinking to herself.
In the future, she really shouldn’t look at the world with the mindset of a CP fan anymore.
She shouldn’t be delusional. It’s best to have a sense of reality, otherwise it’s easy to hurt oneself and others.
*
Jiang Chuyi had booked a flight to Beijing the day after tomorrow to visit Qin Tong. She stayed for a few days and accompanied him to attend Xingcheng Satellite TV’s New Year’s Eve Gala.
The New Year’s Eve Gala was held in a grand fashion every year. It was broadcast live and required walking the red carpet.
Jiang Chuyi specially controlled her diet for a few days in advance.
In the cold winter of December, Jiang Chuyi accompanied Qin Tong out of the car at the star-studded New Year’s Eve Gala.
She lifted the hem of her smoky blue long dress and took a deep breath before walking through the dark crowd of reporters and media in the cold wind, suppressing her trembling body.
As expected, no one came to interview her.
Jiang Chuyi accompanied Qin Tong smoothly into the heated performance hall. The usher led them to the VIP guest area near the front row.
Qin Tong hadn’t appeared in public for a long time. Being invited by Xingcheng to attend the New Year’s Eve Gala this time, many people came to greet him. Most of the guests invited by Xingcheng were of high status. In addition to some investors, the directors who participated in the filming of the BloodXGentle movie last time were also present.
Because she had to walk the red carpet, her phone was taken by her assistant before getting out of the car. Jiang Chuyi had nothing to do.
She was very sleepy but couldn’t fall asleep.
With nothing else to do, she flipped through the program in her hand. Seeing those familiar names, her heart stirred.
<> – Xin He
…
<<1008>> – Zhao Guangyu
…
<>, <>, <> – BloodXGentle
Jiang Chuyi looked around and leaned over to whisper to Qin Tong. She wanted to go to another section to find Jin Qing and get her phone back.
Maybe she could record a video for them from the audience later…
She asked a young-looking staff member for directions. The girl told her to wait a moment and went to contact someone.
While waiting, she heard people chatting nearby.
“Ah, I just ran into BloodXGentle. Gosh, they’re even more handsome in person than in videos. I’m dizzy. When I walked past them, I didn’t even dare to lift my head.”
“Who? Where?”
“BloodXGentle! You’ll see them in a bit. I even made eye contact with Zong Ye. He really made me swoon.”
“Okay, okay, stop fangirling.”
By the time she came back to her senses, the two people beside her had already changed the subject. They lowered their voices and seemed to start gossiping about some secret scandals.
Jiang Chuyi got her phone back from Jin Qing and returned to her seat.
Hearing the movement, Qin Tong turned his head and glanced at her phone. He said coldly, “Fickle-minded.”
Jiang Chuyi felt guilty and gripped her phone tightly without daring to make a sound.
She was just about to obediently listen to his lecture when the girls in the fan area behind suddenly went crazy and started screaming.
Many people in the venue heard the commotion, stopped talking and laughing, and turned to look. Jiang Chuyi was no exception.
— In the guest entrance passage, four figures walked in while surrounded by cameras.
Most of the celebrities present watched them, smiling on the surface while feeling a bit sour inside.
It had to be admitted that BloodXGentle was an idol group whose popularity was almost unparalleled in the country. Wherever they went, they dominated the traffic, and others could only envy them but not match them.
Just by showing their faces, the fans made enough noise to startle everyone in the venue.
After watching for a while, Jiang Chuyi turned her head back.
Qin Tong spoke, “Are they that recently popular group? The one you filmed a movie with last time?”
“Yes.” Jiang Chuyi said the name of BloodXGentle’s group.
This strange name made the old man frown.
She didn’t say anything more and sat properly, restraining herself from letting her gaze wander in a certain direction.
Guests arrived one after another, but the commotion caused by BloodXGentle couldn’t stop.
Before the show started, the on-site director was very considerate. The big screen in the venue began to randomly switch camera shots. After a dozen seconds, the camera suddenly stopped on a certain person.
He was sitting in the front row of the performer’s area, hunched over, listening to the person beside him with his eyes lowered, casually turning a water bottle with his hand.
The roaming camera swept over his bamboo-like wrist and stopped on his face. Cheeks, lips, chin, all given close-ups.
Under the gaze of the public, he tilted his head with half his face in shadow. When signaled by others, he saw himself on the screen, soundlessly quirked the corner of his mouth, and smiled.
Then, he politely raised his hand and greeted the people present.
The screams that had just died down erupted again, even more exaggerated and fierce than before. The earth-shattering, deafening fanfare almost seemed like it would blow the roof off.
Qin Tong asked again, “Who is he?”
Jiang Chuyi came back to her senses and, following the group of fans behind her who were screaming their hearts out, softly said his name.
Zong Ye.
